Most Valuable Possession
by Black-Dragon Fantasy
Summary: Vergil seeks to obtain ultimate power, but to do this he must sacrifice something that is most valuable possesion to him. If it isn't his half of the amulet...then what else can it possibly be? Eventual Dante/Vergil.
1. Chapter 1

Vergil was walking calmly through the dark streets of a human city. It was in this city that a weapon of untold power was apparently hidden. This weapon was far too tempting for Vergil to ignore and even if it was a myth, he would certainly grow stronger from killing all the demons that seemed to infest this part of the city. "More of you?" Vergil asks almost boredly as a large group of demons materialize and surround him. Vergil draws his blade, holding the scabbard in his other hand. It was then that his younger twin brother unexpectedly appeared.

"Vergil, that you?" Dante drawled, swinging Rebellion over his shoulder dramatically. His foot connected swiftly with the face of a lesser demon, said demon crashing heavily into a decrepit wall, and turning into ash. "Came for the fun I see."

"What are you doing here?" Vergil asks, already irritated by the mere sight of Dante as he blocks the strike of one demon with the scabbard of his blade while slicing another into pieces that quickly turn to a pile of ash.

Dante scoffed, slicing Rebellion down, an airwave washing aside a group of demons into a sprinkle of ash. "Just came to party. Though I expect you have _no idea_ what that even means."

"I see you are still as careless and foolish as usual" Vergil mutters as he teleports behind a group of demons and cuts them all to bits that later turn to grey dust.

"I prefer stylish and cool, thank you," Dante said. He leapt into the air, ramming his sword through a bunch of demons like a shish kebab, and heaving them into the nearest building. "What brings you here anyway? Obviously it's not to see your good-looking younger brother."

"That is my business and mine alone. It is none of _your_ concern" Vergil tells him as he kills the remaining demons by using his summoned swords to stab them all through the chest. "Not even worth my time" Vergil murmurs as he sheaths his blade and continues his trek toward the abandoned cemetery where rumor said the legendary weapon lay in slumber.

Dante followed close behind, whistling at the cemetery. It wasn't kept well, it seemed. The headstones had started to fall and crack to pieces, and the names were beginning to fade with time, weeds crisscrossed the entirety of the lots. The only thing still standing that was the least bit distinguishable was a large angel, wings beginning to crack under years of lack of care and face seeming to cry in its marble casing.

"Why are you following me?" Vergil asks coldly as he heads towards the angel, noticing something carved into the pedestal it stood upon.

"I figure you're gonna do something fun," Dante said off-handedly. "Remember that time we took down that demon on the East Side? Whooo!"

"I remember..." Vergil says offhandedly, brushing off the dirt that obscured a symbol on the pedestal. It was a claw holding a bleeding heart with strange red writing beneath it. "What is a demonic symbol doing on the pedestal of an angel...?" Vergil mutters, trying to read the inscription as the eyes of the angel slowly start to glow red.

Dante snorted. "Almost the same reason people are worshipping Dad. He's a demon, too, ain't he?"

"Yes, he is a demon, one of the most powerful Hell ever had" Vergil says softly before his eyes widen as the statue grabs him by the throat and lifts him off the ground.

"_**Do you seek power, eldest son of Sparda? Do you value it above all things?**_" The 'angel' snarls darkly in the language of Hell as Vergil's eyes widen and he struggles to grab his blade, choking and gasping for breath.

Dante hadn't heard the 'angel' and could not see it. He watched Vergil's body suddenly freeze, then his shoulder start to twist, and his body convulsing slightly. "Hey, Verg," Dante said, stepping closer to him. He reached out a hand; hesitant, knowing Vergil hated unnecessary physical contact. "Verg, come on-"

"Let...Me...Go!" Vergil snarls, glaring into the burning eyes of the 'angel' as he unsheathes Yamato and slices off its arm. The vision is broken and Vergil stumbles back, taking deep breaths and rubbing his throat as the statue suddenly starts to fall to pieces. "Power...Yes, I seek power" Vergil whispers to himself as the demonic symbol on the pedestal glows bright red before disappearing.

"What the hell was that about?" Dante demanded. He glared at his elder twin, arms crossed.

"I...I am not sure..." Vergil says uncertainly, watching the statue crumble into small pieces.

Dante looked at the pile of rubble, scoffing lightly. "You look like crap," he said off-handedly. "You wanna come by for some pizza? I even got strawberry milkshakes."

"...Why not? I need some time to think" Vergil mutters, looking troubled by what he just experienced and the statue's words.

* * *

><p>Dante shoved open the doors of the Devil May Cry, dust flying from the floor as the two brothers walked in. "Make yourself at home," He said, heading for the kitchen. He fished out a pizza box and two empty glasses before heading back to his brother.<p>

Vergil shrugs off his blue coat, hanging it on a chair before sitting down upon it. He grabs a slice of pizza and takes a bite, leaning back into the chair and looking around. "What is the life expectancy of this place? Will it still be standing in a month or will it be blown to pieces like all your other homes?" Vergil asks almost mockingly.

Dante took a bite of his own pizza, blue eyes dancing playfully. "That depends. If no one bothers to send demons after me again, this place'll be standing tall. Otherwise, its fine."

"Hmm...It is a decent place...Could stand for some cleaning and new paint" Vergil comments, savoring the pizza as he examines his surroundings more closely.

Dante kicked back in his chair, feet resting on the desk in front of him. "Yeah, but I never get around to it. It'll just have to stay like this."

"So I see you're content to laze about as usual" Vergil murmurs, finishing his pizza and crossing his arms over his chest. "Why do you insist on staying here and protecting these humans?" Vergil asks curiously.

Dante shrugged lightly. "They're humans, Vergil. Sometimes they may not be all that much better than demons. Someone's gotta protect them."

"You should shift your concerns towards yourself. You can barely stand against me in combat. What hope will you have when a stronger demon crosses your path? Will you still stand before it and protect these humans? Will you _die_ for them?" Vergil asks harshly, his blue eyes impassioned as he glares at his brother.

Dante looked at him critically reaching for another slice of pizza. He let the cheese dribble into his mouth. "I'll do what I've always done. I'll mow them down. And I'm _not_ weaker than you."

"You _are_ and it is not your lack of skill that curses you, it is your inflated sense of morality towards the weak. You still have not learned, brother, that when you fight, you fight alone and when you fall, you fall alone. None of the humans you saved would lift a finger in your defense" Vergil says coldly, reaching into his coat and pulling out a scroll, reading through it again. He would find that weapon even if it killed him.

Dante scoffed at him. "Is that what you think?" He muttered. "Them I'm guessing you think that Old Man is the same way. He kicked the bucket cause of humans. Because of _a_human."

Dante looked at Vergil sharply through his long white bangs, biting into his pizza. "Or don't you remember?"

"How can I forget my greatest failure? But that...Experience..." Vergil whispers, struggling to maintain a cold facade but his eyes showed the depth of his grief, "Merely proves my point. Our mother was murdered and there was nothing we could do. Our father was dead and our mother was just a human, yet she stood alone against the demons and died alone."

Dante threw his hands up. "Really, Verg?" He said, voicing rising. "If she didn't have a _reason_ she wouldn't have done it in the first place. Don't try to pin your self-righteous crap to Mom. Ever."

"She died for nothing, Dante, _nothing_. She should have never stood against them but she did, knowing she would _die_. If her feelings for us hadn't clouded her judgment, then she would have lived; she would have run and let us defend ourselves against those demons" Vergil growls, his anger surfacing as he lays his hand on Yamato.

"Because that's what mothers are supposed to do, right?" Dante yelled at him. "They're supposed to let their kids get fed to the wolves? Maybe in _your_ little world that makes sense. But out _here_, it doesn't."

"So you _enjoy_ knowing that our mother is dead because she was protecting her children? You _like_ the fact that we, sons of the demon Sparda, were shielded by a mere human? Do you take pleasure in knowing that we barely had enough of our mother to _bury_!" Vergil yells back, his voice rising with every question as his hand tightens on his blade.

"You fucking idiot," Dante growled. "You think I _like _the fact that Mom's dead? Hell fucking no! Every single day I think what I could have done back then and didn't. But she's our _mother_, Vergil! She was going to do it whether we wanted her to or not! It's not about being human, or that ass was our dad, it was the fact that she was our _mother_ and we let her _die_!"

"_We_ should have been the ones to die, Dante!" Vergil snarls, stabbing Yamato into the table as he stands before his younger brother, enraged. "'That ass', you are referring to, was one of the most powerful demons in the Netherworld and as his children we _failed_. We are _weak_ but I will _not_ allow myself to waste away protecting those that lack the strength to protect themselves and lack the will to seek strength. I _will_ become stronger than Sparda _ever_ was and I will _not lose again_" Vergil says angrily, pulling his coat on and pulling his blade out of the table as he storms out of Devil May Cry to find the weapon that would make him powerful.

Dante sat heavily back into his chair, blowing out an aggravated sigh. There never seemed to be a time when either Son of Sparda could take the sight of the other for very long before things became a battle ground. Yet they seemed so close when they were young. Dante looked at the empty chair Vergil had been sitting in before growling dangerously to himself.

"Asshole," He growled. He flew to his feet, grabbing Rebellion.

* * *

><p>Vergil was walking quickly through the streets and back to the cemetery as it started to rain. His white hair falls into his face as he glares angrily at his surroundings. "What did the statue mean?" Vergil mutters under his breath as he looks down at the scroll again.<p>

There was no use in trying to ask it again, it was nothing but a pile of useless rubble, now. Then there was the hold it had on him that he didn't understand, a demonic presence using the appearance of an angel in a cemetery. Moving to the rubble of the destroyed statue, Vergil pushed his hair from his face.

Vergil then starts digging through the rubble, looking for a clue and he stumbles upon an inscription written in the language of demons on the remnants of the statue's wing. _'Those that seek everlasting power must surrender all they value in the flames of death'_, it read. "All I value?" Vergil whispers to himself as he wraps his fingers around his half of the Perfect Amulet.

Dante ruffled his wet hair, glaring out at the rain. "He would pick now of all times to have his hissy fit." Where would Vergil go? For ultimate power, he had made that clear. The statue, then? But that thing was a piece of useless crap by now. Dante narrowed his eyes, that wouldn't stop Vergil. Dante took off towards the cemetery.

Vergil takes off his half of the amulet and stares at it. "All I value..." He repeats to himself as he drops the amulet carelessly on the floor. Almost immediately, it is engulfed in black flames. Vergil suddenly doubles over and screams in pain, feeling as though something inside him was burning along with the amulet.

"Vergil?" Dante yelled. He jumped across the cemetery, landing near his brother as he watched him convulsing and screaming on the ground. His eyes were rolling into the back of his head as he gurgled, twisting to rest on his back and then go completely still.

"Vergil," Dante started. "Come on, man, don't fuck with me like this. Vergil?"

Vergil was unconscious on the ground, the amulet gone and the front of his shirt burned off. On his chest, over his heart, were small black markings that didn't seem to make any sense to Dante. His breathing was uneven and he tossed his head from side to side like he was having a nightmare but was otherwise unharmed.

Dante knelt down beside his brother, hand hesitantly coming out to touch him. When his fingers went for the marking, a black electric shock surged across his fingers. He drew back with a curse. Hooking his arms around Vergil's back and knees, he kicked Yamato up, slinging it across his back and made his way back to the Devil May Cry.

Vergil groans in his sleep, shuddering and muttering something under his breath that sounded like _'No, not her'_. Lightning falls nearby and the ground trembles as the thunder booms above. The rain falls down more violently, soaking them both.

Dante doubled his pace, breath coming out in small clouds in the rain. "You joke about me being too fat with all the crap I eat," he muttered. "But you're no Miss America yourself," He joked bitterly.

* * *

><p>Vergil doesn't wake up and they reach Devil May Cry before the storm got worse. Dante kicks the doors open and sweeps inside, laying Vergil on a red couch he had.<p>

Dante stripped off his red coat, and put Rebellion in a position to lie against the desk. Retreating to his bathroom, he picked up a rag and wet it before returning to Vergil and laying it across his hot forehead. Pulling a chair up, Dante sat down heavily next to Vergil and waited.

An hour passed before Vergil opens his eyes, groaning softly and clutching his chest. The mark burned and voices whispered in his mind. What were they saying? He shakes his head slightly and ignores them for now, his gaze moving to his brother. "What happened?"

Dante stirred, blue eyes locking with Vergil's. "You passed out," He said simply. "I had to drag your ass back here. What the hell is that on your chest?"

"I don't know...Wait, the amulet...I sacrificed it..." Vergil says suddenly, noticing that his half of the perfect amulet was gone.

Dante narrowed his eyes at him, mouth going into a straight line. "You _sacrificed_ it." he said slowly.

"Yes, I had to sacrifice what I valued in order to unlock everlasting power or so the inscription said" Vergil mutters carelessly, sitting up and concentrating to try to see if he got any new powers.

Dante slapped his hands against his knees, standing up in a huff. "You gave up the _only_ thing we have from our mom for _power_," He muttered. "What else is new?" Dante made his way for the kitchen.

Dante returned, another pizza in hand. "Looks like you got ripped off, Verg," Dante said coldly. "Serves you right."

"No...There must be something else I value that I haven't sacrificed..." Vergil murmurs thoughtfully, wincing as he clutches his chest. "Do you ever eat anything other than pizza?"

Dante shrugged, "Is there anything_ better_ than pizza? Other than strawberry sundaes, I can't think of anything worth eating that isn't pizza."

Vergil sighs and shakes his head slightly. "Do you mind if I stay here for a few days? I need to find out what the symbol means and what else I need to sacrifice" Vergil asks, omitting the fact that he couldn't move an inch without feeling like someone was sticking a hot knife in his chest.

"Do whatever you want," Dante said, licking his fingers. "It's not like anything I say's gonna stop you."

"I imagine you have a bed around here or do you sleep on the couch like some vagrant?" Vergil asks him, standing up and grabbing Yamato.

"Where do you think I have most of my fun?" Dante drawled. "I'll let you figure that out on your own."

Vergil sits in a chair he deems comfortable and leans back in it. "Then I suppose I will sleep here. Now, what could I possibly have to sacrifice next?" Vergil mutters, crossing his arms over his chest and thinking to himself.

"There _are_ two beds," Dante grumbled angrily. "Don't stay up too long. Light bill's a bitch." Dante ascended the stairs and slammed his door shut.

"I wonder why he's in such a bad mood all of the sudden?" Vergil asks himself, turning off the light, walking upstairs and entering the second room that he assumed was now his, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes:<p>

**Dark: **God, I love being Vergil…He's such a cold little bastard and a also a tragic figure…Expect romance later…Much…Later…Muahaha…

**Snow: **The whole time I was writing Dante, I was thinking about him weilding the Lucifer. I feel dirty xD. Other than that, this fic is coming along nicely :)


	2. Chapter 2

Dante shifted in his bed, cold air flying over his bare chest. He had been glaring at the nothingness in the dark for God-knows how long. He wasn't angry, he wasn't. He wasn't angry that Vergil gave away the only present their father had given his mother, who in turn split it in half and gave it to both of them. He wasn't at all angry that Vergil was so self-righteous, and thought power was always the way to go. Without power, there was nothing. His fists tightened until his knuckles turned white. No. he wasn't angry. One. Bit.

* * *

><p>Vergil sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at his hands. "Sacrifice your most valuable possession? Could that mean Yamato?" He raked his eyes over to the long sword, looking at it critically. No, he could live without Yamato to be honest. If a stronger weapon existed, then he would abandon the Yamato, despite any personal attachment he may have. Closing his eyes, he sighed. He would just have to keep running all that he owned through his mind.<p>

* * *

><p>Crackling, it was crackling, swirling with dark energy. It only needed a host. A worthy host. One who craved what it could give. But it needed to know it was prepared to sacrifice all that mattered else it would truly be unworthy. It would wait. Wait and crackle and bubble over with dark energy until <em>the one<em> realized what was meant to be given up. No matter how obvious it is.

* * *

><p>Vergil groans and gets out of bed, bare feet lying on the wooden floor. He pulls on a spare black shirt that he 'borrowed' from Dante and leaves the room. He could barely sleep last night. After the third nightmare, he gave up and stared at the ceiling for the rest of the night. This, of course, caused him to be even crabbier than usual. "Where does he keep his food...?" Vergil mumbles to himself, walking around and looking for the kitchen.<p>

Dante was bent, head immersed into the fridge. His shirtless torso was briefly illuminated by the light of the fridge. He rifled through the shelves unhappily. With two around now, there was less pizza...

"Dante" Vergil mutters in greeting, finally finding the room he sought and waiting for Dante to finish whatever he was doing so he could get some breakfast.

Dante didn't answer him and continued rifling through the fridge. Eventually Vergil would get fed up and either initiate a fight or just leave. And more than likely, he would just leave. He just needed to hold out a little longer...

"Dante, are you searching for the Holy Grail? I think you would have more luck in Jerusalem" Vergil says sarcastically, irritation clear in his voice as he glares at the bent form of his brother.

Dante ignored him again, pretending to look for something in a container, looking and tilting it in his hands before replacing it and bending down again.

"Dante, get out of my way. I am in no mood for your foolishness" Vergil says coldly, moving to stand right beside him.

Dante peered at him over the fridge door, only his blue eyes showing. "Hmm? Was that you, Verg? Sorry, didn't hear you come in."

"Dante...Move, now" Vergil growls, his white hair formed a curtain over his eyes which was definitely _not_ normal and he looked more tense than usual, if that was even possible.

Dante stood to his full height, before leaning his elbows down on the door. "Oh? What're you gonna do if I don't?"

Vergil doesn't answer and quickly shoves Dante away from the fridge and takes his place in front of it. He bends down sluggishly and looks for an adequate breakfast food.

Dante frowned, fists flying to his hips. He scoffed quietly looking around the kitchen a moment. Raising his leg, he swiftly propelled his leg upside Vergil's behind before snorting and scampering off towards the stairs.

Vergil grunts at the slight pain and glares at Dante, surprisingly enough he did not go after him. He simply grabbed a slice of pizza that smelled decent and some orange juice, shutting the fridge door. He slowly walks down the stairs to get to the table so he could eat. There was something different about Vergil's mannerisms today and it made him even _less _fun.

Dante walked back, slowly, peering in and frowning. "Really, Verg? Nothing?"

The younger plopped down in the seat across from him. "Didn't take you for a pizza man."

"It's all you have" Vergil mutters, slowly and excessively chewing the bite in his mouth. He flinches ever so slightly and takes a shuddering breath as he swallows the bite before taking another.

Dante leaned into his palm, eyes flying to the table. "Why'd you give up your half so readily?"

"Hmm...? Oh, the amulet...It is an unnecessary keepsake, a useless trinket that had no practical use other than to remind me of Mother. It served its purpose" Vergil explains quietly, continuing to eat his pizza and taking a sip of orange juice every now and then.

Dante frowned at him, hand flying to his own half. "It isn't useless, Vergil. You know that. Are you this bent on gaining power? You loved that thing."

"I _love_ nothing. Love is weakness. Attachments are merely another target for the enemy to aim at and another way to cause me to lose. Power is the only thing that can be relied upon. The only thing that will never abandon you" Vergil says as he finishes his pizza and continues to sip at his orange juice. His hand suddenly tightens on the glass and makes a tiny crack on it before it loosens again. Vergil pretends not to notice and continues drinking the juice.

Dante looked at him intently, blue eyes simmering. "So then. You don't love me? We're not family?"

"What is the point of all this, Dante?" Vergil sighs, ignoring his questions and setting the broken glass down.

Dante shrugged. "None. I wondered how committed to this shit you were." he rose, kicking the chair away. "Guess I got my answer."

"It's not quite as simple as you may think, Dante" Vergil murmurs, laying back in his chair stiffly and stifling a yawn. He was so exhausted...

Dante swept his arms dramatically. "It's not?" he said, voice rising. "Oh _please_ enlighten me, dear smart-ass brother. I would_ love_ to know."

"From what little I know, the sacrifice of my half of the Perfect Amulet activated a contract, of sorts, that must be fulfilled in six hundred and sixty-six hours. That is why I am, as you so delicately put it, 'so dedicated to this shit'" Vergil explains, half-heartedly mocking his brother as he crosses his arms over his chest.

Dante looked at him, thinking a moment. "So what? The amulet didn't do the trick?"

"No. Apparently, I am missing something else that I value but I do not know what it could be. It isn't Yamato and as far as I can remember, I do not value anything else..." Vergil says with a small cough, clearing his throat.

Dante turned to leave, lingering at the doorway. "Of course not. It's not as if you _care_ about anything," he mumbled and walked back to his room.

Vergil frowns as he watches Dante leave, strangely saddened by his words as the burning ache in his chest increases. He had to find out what he was missing before it was too late. He picks up the broken glass and throws it in the trash can, trying to focus on his problem but his mind continues to wander to Dante's words and his sudden exit.


End file.
